mrbrown: L'infantile terrible of Singapore

mrbrown.muxtape.com update 5 May 2008

Some interesting covers and mashups today at mrbrown.muxtape.com!

Crazy, As She Goes (vs. Gnarls Barkley) - The Raconteurs versus Gnarls Barkley

It's Not Over Yet (Klaxons Cover) - Goldfrapp

Outlaw - Real Ones

Everywhere - Bran Van 3000

Kaboom! - Ursula 1000

Its Fun To Smoke Dust - Queen vs Satan - dj lobsterdust

I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You (Black Kids) - Kate Nash

Friend - 玉置浩二

普通朋友 Regular Friends - 陶喆 (David Tao)

Brown City - Brown Eyed Soul

Why Can't We Be Friends - Smash Mouth

Nel Cimitero Di Tucson - Gianfranco Reverberi

the mrbrown show: the replacement

Everyone is subject to the forces of globalisation! Let's drink to that at mrbrownshow.com!

the mrbrown show: blame it on somebody (The Anyhowly Remix)

Quite a few of you asked for a version of the song without our jappin' so we remixed another version for you. Don't blame us if you don't like hor!

Boogie on down to mrbrownshow.com!

mrbrown.muxtape.com update 28 April 2008

Fancy some happy Emma Bunton music to keep the Monday blues away? Or maybe some acoustic songs done at a radio station, recorded live? Check out mrbrown.muxtape.com for the week!

Lily Allen - Mr. Blue Sky (ELO Cover)

Chromeo - Needy Girl (Data In Beverly Hills Remix)

Weezer - Pork and Beans

Cypress Hill - Tres Equis

Emma Bunton - Maybe (Radio edition)

The Raconteurs - Steady, As She Goes (Acoustic Version)

Hot Chip - Nothing Compares 2 U (Sinead O’Connor)/In The Privacy Of Our Love

Paper Bird - Pennies

Anita Kerr Singers - The Windmills Of Your Mind

The Rolling Stones - You Can’t Always Get What You Want (Soulwax remix)

Round Table ft. Nino - Chobits OST - Let me be with you

Emma Bunton - Downtown (Element Remix)

the mrbrown show: blame it on somebody

It's the window's fault, I tell ya! Don't blame it on the wrong somebody! Boogie on down to mrbrownshow.com!

Mas Selamat escape COI report: Foreign and local views

AFP: Singapore's most-wanted still at large two months after escape

Excerpt:

The report prompted much derision on the Internet, where popular Singapore blogger Mr. Brown posted pictures of toilets perched on a tricycle and motorised carts, saying he had thought Kastari might have escaped on something similar.

"But I was wrong. It was nothing THAT sophisticated," he wrote.

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Reuters: Singapore says militant escaped without trousers (It was filed under Oddly Enough news)

Excerpt:

Singapore said on Monday that a suspected Islamic militant managed to escape from a detention centre two months ago mainly because of an unlocked window in the toilet -- and fled without his trousers.

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Catherine Lim (catherinelim.sg): The Mas Selamat Scandal: Its Impact on the Government-People Relationship

Excerpt:

In each case, public debate has followed a predictable pattern: first, the people are allowed to speak their minds freely through the permitted channels including the forum pages of newspapers, TV debates, the feedback units, and dialogues with government representatives; next, at an appropriate point, the Prime Minister himself and his ministers enter the fray with patient, sustained explanations and persuasive arguments, and finally the matter comes to a close, usually with a gentle but firm message from the Prime Minister himself that in effect says, ‘Trust us; let’s move on.’

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Catherine Lim: More Comments on the Mas Selamat Scandal

Excerpt:

I have been more perturbed by the Mas Selamat case than by any of the past issues that we Singaporeans have expressed unhappiness about, including even the very contentious issue of the ministerial salaries. My unease has to do with the increasing disconnect between the government and the people which I had mentioned in my previous article and which I’ll try to explain more clearly and fully here.

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Seah Chiang Nee (littlespeck.com): Holding the line

Excerpt:

When Singapore’s terrorist leader escaped from high-security detention two months ago, he could not possibly have foreseen the political repercussion that he was leaving behind.

It has given Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong his worst political headache since he took office nearly four years ago.

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Alex Au (yawningbread.org): The great hunt: more management failures than guards' lapses

Excerpt:

In order to be fair to Wong Kan Seng in my comment here, I spent a couple of hours watching all the videoclips available on Channel NewsAsia before penning this. What I saw was a minister trying to be humble in giving Parliament a report on Mas Selamat's escape from the Whitley Road Detention Centre. Where he was armed with the findings from the Commission of Inquiry, he was forthright, but where he was not, he fumbled.

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Chua Lee Hoong (Straits Times, newspaper scan at Singapore Mind): That escape: Crucial issues aplenty, so let's move on

Excerpt:

Reading internet postings often make my blood boil.

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SM Goh Chok Tong (Straits Times): Time to move on to more pressing tasks

五月天 is such a fine, fine rock band

Totally rocking music and performance, man. You could feel the rapport they had with the fans and it seemed like the crowd knew the words to every song. Gorgeous lighting and set too.

Loved every moment of the concert but 石头's simple song to his kid was the most moving to me.

Hokkien rock ftw!

How Paris is Beating Traffic Without ERP

An interesting read on how the mayor of Paris reduced car use in Paris without having the luxury of enforcing congestion pricing (or ERP as we call it here):

Excerpt:

The mayor of a global metropolis, elected to his first term in 2001, set out to reduce driving and promote greener modes of transportation in his city. Congestion pricing turned out to be unfeasible, because influential political forces in the suburbs believed, rightly or wrongly, that charging people to drive into the urban core was regressive. Undaunted, the mayor found other means to achieve his transportation agenda.

The mayor is Bertrand Delanoë, and the city is Paris, where private auto use has dropped 20 percent in a few short years.

As Mayor Bloomberg and the team at DOT chart a way forward without London-style congestion charging, it's worth noting that for all the differences between New York and Paris, Delanoë also confronted a vocal car culture while winning huge victories for pedestrians, bikes, and transit. To get a better sense of how New York can apply the lessons of Paris, Streetsblog spoke to Luc Nadal and Aimée Gauthier of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy about the hurdles faced by Delanoë and his deputy mayor for transportation, Denis Baupin.

Read the rest at Streetsblog

TODAY: PAP kindergarten fees hike

Update: TODAY has apologised for the mistake. It was $76 jumping to $96. That said, a fee hike of between 26% to 100% is still not "quite okay" to me.

This quote jumped right out at me:

"Parent Aileen Lee, 31, who would pay $96 from July instead of $20 now, said she was "quite okay" with the hike."

How anyone can be "quite okay" with that kind of kindergarten fee hike is beyond me. Maybe we've all gotten so numb by the inflation and price hikes that the only reaction we've left is "quite okay".

From Today:

Sharp hike in kindergarten fees
Friday • April 25, 2008
Alicia Wong

Some 1,500 students attending the seven PAP Community Foundation (PCF) kindergartens in Woodlands will see their fees shoot up by 30 to 100 per cent from July.

Then, about 50-odd PCF branches will raise their fees when a freeze in effect since last July comes to an end.

The PCF, which has 84 branches, each with up to eight centres, told Today "65 per cent of the branches will be adjusting their fees because operating costs have increased".

Continue reading "TODAY: PAP kindergarten fees hike"

Golden rice bowl

I'd love to have a golden rice bowl like this.

You pay top dollar for it but it is infallible. Very reliable.

mrbrown.muxtape.com: The Mas Selamat No-Blame Mix

I don't usually update my muxtape so soon, but I thought it might be good to have some appropriate music to listen to this week, as we read about the Mas Selamat escape and who is to blame. Especially since PM himself has just announced:

"PM Lee says ministers shouldn't be automatically removed for lapses down the line" (CNA)

and

"Don't over-react, go overboard over one bad incident: PM Lee" (ST)

Enjoy The Mas Selamat No-Blame Mix from mrbrown.muxtape.com (click on link to listen):

Blame It On The Boogie - The Jacksons

Blame It On The Rain - Milli Vanilli

Blame It On The Sun - Lauryn Hill

No One Is to Blame - Howard Jones

I Don't Blame You - Cat Power

I Shot The Sheriff - Bob Marley & The Wailers

It Wasn't Me - Shaggy

Man in the Mirror - Michael Jackson

Winner at a Losing Game - Rascal Flatts

Should I Stay or Should I Go - The Clash

A Change Would Do You Good - Sheryl Crow

Blame It On The Boogie - Big Fun

Suggestion for interim measure while upgrading Whitley Road Detention Centre CCTV system

The ministerial statement mentioned that there were two non-working CCTV cameras, where Mas Selamat climbed out of the Family Visitation Block, because of the security surveillance system upgrades happening at the time.

This is unfortunate. So I tried to think of what we can do the next time upgrading is happening so that this kind of thing will not happen again. I also wanted to choose a cost effective solution. I found these:

SVAT ISC200 Outdoor Imitation Security Camera with Blinking LED

I highly recommend this model because it has a blinking LED and an actual wire, so that detainees will think they are working CCTVs and not try anything funny.

Another highly recommended add-on is this Video Surveillance warning sign. Pair the imitation security camera (with blinking LED) and this fierce-looking sign, and you'll have a solid detainee deterrence program in place, while the real cameras are being upgraded (and not working).

I only ask that if the Ministry of Home Affairs likes my idea and buys these in bulk, they use my Amazon Associates ID, mrbrown-20, so I can get some extra commission on the Associates program.

From the imitation security camera blurb:

"Want to deter intruders or vandals without spending a lot of money on a security system? Then SVAT's imitation security cameras are the solution for you. The ISC200 is an imitation camera that looks like a real security camera. With the same external components as a functioning security camera, the ICS 200 is a realistic crime prevention investment.

The activation LED light flashes also making the camera look like it is in operation. The actual wire adds reality. Neighbors and visitors will think that you have a complete video surveillance system. This unit can be easily mounted and aimed with its adjustable bracket. Help prevent or deter suspicious activity by placing the security camera in a noticeable place.

The ISC200 can also heighten the effectiveness of an existing security system at a low cost. This camera decoy will make people think twice about stealing or doing damage to your property. Have fun watching how customers and employees react when they think they are being video taped.

This camera looks and functions like the real thing giving you no need to spend money on expensive cameras. This is a great visual deterrent for shoplifting, theft and vandalism. Perfect for any domestic or commercial use such as an office, retail space, business or home. Imitation cameras have demonstrated success in many types of home and businesses such as motels, retail stores, museums, apartments restaurants, automobile lots and many others. ISC200 can also act as a housing for a real camera."

Mas Selamat COI report is out

After more than a month (don't so impatient, I know they promised in a month. Maybe had to choose a font leh?), we can now know what we are allowed to know about how Mas Selamat escaped from Whitley Road Detention Centre (WRDC). This from the Executive Summary by the COI, or Committee of Inquiry:

-The Gurkha Contingent guard escorting Mas Selamat did not stop Mas Selamat from closing the urinal cubicle door in the Family Visitation Block toilet;

-The ventilation window in the urinal cubicle had not been secured by grilles (seen here in the photo); and

-The weakness in the perimeter fencing where the outer and inner perimeter fences converged with an enclosed staircase and walkway leading to the Family Visitation Block was not detected.

My first question was: Why such a lapse from the Gurkhas? Just come back from holiday then got holiday mood ah?

And another interesting bit:

"A packet of 7 rolls of toilet paper was found on the ground adjacent to the external wall, which he could have used to break his fall when he descended."

See lah, sabo leh. Next time all the toilet rolls will be accounted for, and all toilet users will be given a fixed amount of toilet paper, like those 20-cents per entry toilets with the cranky auntie outside.

Other bits of interest:

-The two GC guards and the SDO escorting Mas Selamat failed to respond immediately and decisively when they noticed Mas Selamat was taking too long in the urinal cubicle;

-The Special Duty Operative (a junior ISD officer) escorting Mas Selamat failed to check if Mas Selamat had changed out of his WRDC-issued attire into his civilian clothes. The COI believes that Mas Selamat must have been wearing at least two layers of clothing when he emerged from the Locker Room; and

-No one was actively monitoring the two CCTV cameras covering the outer and inner perimeter fences at the rear of the Family Visitation Block.

That is most unlike Singapore to have faulty CCTVs or unmanned ones. The Election Department's CCTVs are a shining example of working ones.

Note: The above NOT a photo of the CCTV at WRDC. Just an example of poor CCTV placement.

Apparently, the Superintendent of the WRDC thought that sawing off the handle of the toilet window was enough, no need to grill it up, because he thought the guards would always have line of sight of the detainees.

The guards thought that even without line of sight, it would be ok, because they thought the toilet was secure enough.

As our Sergeants used to scream at us in National Service: "You think, I thought, who confirm?"

All the while I thought maybe he got away in something like the following:

But I was wrong. It was nothing THAT sophisticated. It was just an ungrilled window, a closed door, and 7 rolls of toilet paper.

References:

-Text version available at Simply Jean's blog

-The pdf version of the Executive Summary

-The Ministerial statement pdf)

See What Show: Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, The Darjeeling Limited, and Penelope

Reviews of Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, The Darjeeling Limited, and Penelope. at seewhatshow.com!

Muxtape update 21 April 2008

This week, Alphabeat, FrankMusik and Leon Jean-Marie cover Daft Punk's Digital Love (I know, sacrilege! But it's really quite fun), and Jonathan Coulton does a great cover of Baby Got Back.

This and other music to start the work week, in the latest update of mrbrown.muxtape.com.

the mrbrown show: Singapore contributes to the Olympics

Singapore can help with the torch problem, find out how at mrbrownshow.com!

No where else to go but up

Reader Ingot Tree was walking by the "S.E.X." shop at Smith Street after lunch one day and saw this sign pasted on its wall.

Singapore rentals really going out of this world, man.

Korean drummer really feels the groove

Watch the drummer behind the lead singer. Priceless.

He used to be in a Korean rock band in the 70s and apparently he is now living quietly in Toronto now. This video was shot in 1990. Little did he know, 28 18 years later, he would be a Youtube legend.

From LastxLight, who posted the video:

"My Dad's friend who works at a TV studio found this after this group of Koreans rented out the studio for their music video and probably other stuff that i am unaware of. anyways, he plays it at every staff Christmas party and this past Christmas the party was at our house. after having seen the video i decided that it was too funny to keep to myself so i asked my Dad's friend and he gave me a copy to put on YouTube.

So, in all honesty, i have no idea who these random Korean musicians are or what their names are lol. but the facial expressions of this drummer are priceless...not to mention that left hand drum stick twirl that he does throughout...and i'm pretty sure it's from the early 90's hahaha"

Dear NETS

It is bad enough that the small merchants I patronise now ask me to pay cash instead of by the NETS (Network for Electronic Transfer) debit card system, ever since the merchant fees were hiked 400%, now I am receiving phone calls on my mobile phone from some insurance company connected to you.

I find the AXS stations you set up fairly useful, which is why I signed up. But can you not give my contact information to such companies to bug me? In addition to wasting my time, these calls cost me money too, because my mobile is not on a free incoming calls plan.

I am already dealing with calls from telemarketers with heavily accented Mandarin asking me to participate in dodgy surveys (to which I reply, "No speak Chinese" and hang up). And then there are the cold calls from credit card companies. I also no longer fill up lucky draw forms at travel shows, the supermarket, or any major event these days in order to avoid the dreaded timeshare scum who call me.

I don't have privacy laws in Singapore to protect me from such nonsense, because the Government is "pro-business" and puts business interests over its citizens' right to privacy.

I mean, the Government already sees fit to even allow businesses to spam my email box as long as they have the "ADV" tag in their subject line, and a link to unsubscribe from a company's unsolicited spam. I doubt if we will see a Do Not Call registry or law in our country any time soon.

Now I have to deal your telemarketers too, or those of your partners.

That sucks.

The gentlemen who called me thanked me for being "a valued customer of NETS", before he went into his insurance spiel. I didn't feel like "a valued customer of NETS" because my contact information was being used this way.

In future, I will no longer participate in any of your campaigns or give your company any more of my information. I don't think I can trust you any more.

P.S. You really need to turn on password protection for users who sign up for the eAssistant service at your AXS stations, if you have not already. Anyone with an eAssistant user's IC number can see what companies the user pays bills to every month. I had to turn on my password manually, using your settings screen.

Muxtape update 14 April 2008

"Riffle" — Michael Kowalski composed this synthesizer piece, and Anita Feldman composed and performed the accompanying tap dance. Premiered in July 1985 at the U of Montana.

This and other songs in the latest update of mrbrown.muxtape.com.